​Little hands love gardening! My family spends a lot of time planting and tending our garden beds (veggies and flowers), and my toddler enjoys helping by going to the store and picking out plants, scooping dirt, putting seeds in the ground, and patting dirt once things are in the ground. Older children can help put flowers in the ground, weed, prune, and more. What makes gardening even more exciting is that it can be used as part of an educational unit. Talking about the life cycle of a plant, agriculture/farm life, parts of plants, and native plant species/environment are all ways to expand on gardening in an educational manner. 

Water keeps my child occupied for hours on warm, sunny days. We play in many ways. Here are some ideas to get you started!

• Washing toys: soapy water in a bowl or a plastic storage tote and some water friendly toys are all you need for this activity! Make it even more fun by allowing your child to get their toys dirty (finger paint works great for this), and then wash them using a tooth brush. Once clean, dry them with a hand towel or spare rag!
• Water tables: Water tables come with everything you need for toddler and preschool water play! 
• Sprinklers: Where I live, we can start getting summery weather as early as March, and weather warm enough to play in the sprinkler more regularly by mid-May. With so many great sprinklers on the market, you can find something for every age.
• Watering plants: Have a child who loves gardening and helping with chores? My little one certainly does! Watering plants is a great way to do some water play while knocking something off your to do list, too!
• Paint with water: This activity is great because you don’t need to clean anything off your deck, walls, or driveway. A bit of water and a large paint brush are enough to keep many toddlers engaged for quite a while!

​There are no shortage of great DIY chalk and paint projects online (check here, here, and here for a few options, or check out my Pinterest account for tons more). Or, just buy some ready made at the store! We love doing ice painting and using spray bottles with water and food coloring to create fun projects outdoors. Store bought chalk is also a family favorite! We also move our regular art projects outside, too; it means less mess in my kitchen!! 

​My community has an excess of amazing, family friendly hiking trails. Use the opportunity to do a nature scavenger hunt (you can download the one shown here on my exclusive resource library), listen for different types of bird calls, collect interesting rocks/flowers/leaves to bring home and analyze (please make sure not to harm the plant if you are picking anything, and do not remove flora from areas designated as sanctuaries or preserves!), take pictures to document and create collages/presentations/research back home, or just enjoy the fresh air!

During the nicer months, my family eats many of our meals outside! Bring a blanket, pack a lunch, and go on a picnic at your local park, or in your backyard! Some great picnic foods you might want to bring along (depending on allergies) are:

Outdoor movie nights have never been easier than they are now that WiFi, tablets, smart phones, and laptops are ubiquitous. My family loves lighting a fire in the firepit, grabbing some snacks, and setting up our tablet to watch movies under the stars. Many communities, ours included, also have public outdoor movie nights (many are even free!). Or, splurge on an outdoor projector system or waterproof TV! 

​You don’t need fancy equipment to design an obstacle course in your back yard! Just grab some cardboard boxes, twine, outdoor pillows, hula hoops, chalk (to draw obstacles such as hopscotch or mazes) outdoor furniture, rocks, or other materials and let your imagination guide you! If your family is competitive, break into teams and do a relay. Or, just spend time having low stakes fun. There are also lots of equipment options on the market that you can use if this is an activity you find your family doing a lot, or if you have a family member who also uses the equipment for training or therapeutic purposes.